How We Travel: A Sustainable National Program for Travel Data (Repost)

To address the needs for public and private transportation policy analysis and decision making, the committee that produced this report recommends the organization of a National Travel Data Program built on a core of essential travel data sponsored at the federal level and well integrated with travel data collected by states, metropolitan planning organizations, transit and other local agencies, and the private sector.

Good travel data are essential to support critical policy choices and multimilliondollar investments facing decision makers. Unfortunately, the travel data available today are inadequate to meet this demand.
At present, travel data collection activities are scattered throughout DOT and other federal agencies. The states, MPOs, and the private sector also collect travel data, primarily for their own uses. The most comprehensive travel data are gathered by the federal government using periodic surveys. Coverage of these surveys is incomplete, sample sizes frequently are insufficient to support meaningful analyses, and the results often are not timely. Moreover, funding for these surveys is subject to shifting political priorities, which can place them at risk for cancellation.
The report recommends that DOT and its data partners aggressively invest in the design, testing, and deployment of new methods and technologies for data collection as well as advance the current travel data collection system by employing more consistent data definitions, stronger quality controls, better integration of data sets, and more strategic use of privately collected data. In addition, development of more common formats for state and regional travel data would enable greater integration and aggregation of these data across jurisdictions for analysis and decision making.

Contents
Executive Summary
1 Introduction
Study Charge, Scope, and Audience
Role and Value of Travel Data
The Changing Context for Travel Data
Key Issues for Study
Organization of the Report
2 Overview of Current Travel Data Programs and Gaps
Elements of a Comprehensive Data Program
Overview of Current Travel Data Programs
Major Gaps in Current Travel Data Programs
Findings
3 New Approaches for Meeting Travel Data Needs
Barriers to Survey Data Collection
Overcoming the Barriers
Findings
4 Designing a National Travel Data Program
Concept and Content of a National Travel Data Program
Cost of the Program
Program Management
Program Funding
Constituent Support and Accountability
Findings
5 A Strategy for Improved Travel Data
A National Travel Data Program: The Concept
Collaborations and Partnerships
Organization and Leadership
New Data Collection, Integration, and Analysis Approaches
Sufficient and Sustained Funding
Constituent Support
Management and Accountability
Appendices
A Study on Strategies for Improved Passenger and Freight Travel Data: Statement of Task
B List of Briefings at Committee Meetings
C Bibliography of Selected Studies on Passenger and Freight Travel Data and Related Topics
D Legislation Establishing the Bureau of Transportation Statistics
E Current Data Programs for Monitoring Passenger Travel and Freight Movement Study Committee Biographical Information
Study Committee Biographical Information

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